Steven TiralongoLicense ID:SL3593801
Real Broker, LLC
Moving to MacDill AFB? See what a Tampa Bay home really costs before you fly in.
A free 22-page guide: the real monthly payment in eight areas against 2026 BAH, the drive to the gate, and the fees most out-of-state buyers miss.
For people buying a home in the Tampa Bay area on PCS orders or a contractor move to MacDill AFB. If you plan to rent, this guide will not help much.
You have orders or an offer, a report date, and maybe one house-hunting trip. The listing sites show you homes. They do not show you whether your BAH covers the payment, what the CDD line on the tax bill adds, or whether "close to base" means 15 minutes or 55.
Most relocation guides stop at neighborhood names. The numbers that decide this move are the monthly payment, the fees on top, the drive at your report time, and the timeline from orders to keys.
Mission: Tampa puts them in one place, so you can narrow to two or three areas before you book a flight.
22 pages, eight things you can use this week
- The estimated monthly payment on the median home in eight areas, set against 2026 BAH for E-4 through O-6, with and without dependents. (An estimate, not a loan quote.)
- What your money buys: median size, price per square foot, days on market and sale-to-list in nine areas, from Ruskin to South Tampa.
- The drive to the MacDill gate from eight areas, with the toll road and the peak-hour delay you should plan for.
- How CDD fees work, what they typically cost ($700 to $3,500 a year on single-family homes), and the three things to check before you make an offer.
- New construction: which builders are active where, the incentives they offer, and why your agent should be with you the first time you walk into a sales office.
- The Florida benefits for military and veterans: no state income tax on military pay, the homestead exemption, and the property tax breaks, with who qualifies.
- A five-phase timeline from orders to keys, plus a PCS checklist, so you know what to do at 120 days out and at 45.
- Where to spend your first weekend: Gulf beaches, local food, military discounts, and the nearest VA and veteran service offices.
Page 7: the estimated monthly payment in each area, for an entry-level home and the median single-family home. Hold it up against your BAH on page 6.
Stellar MLS, single-family sales 10/1/2025 to 9/30/2026. Send me the guideTwo agents. One mission.
Work with us and you get two experienced agents who know the VA loan, military life and the PCS clock.
- Army aviation, active duty 2009–2018 (Iraq, Afghanistan); Army Reserve 2018–2024
- MBA, Everglades University
- Six years on the mortgage side; knows the VA loan inside and out
- 100+ clients, most relocating military; $60M+ negotiated
- Enlisted at 17, later commissioned; served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, the Green Berets and as a diplomat
- Master's in International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
- Owns properties in 2 countries and 3 states
- Expert in VA real estate transactions, VA loans and VA assumptions
We wrote Mission: Tampa so you can run the numbers before you step into a model home.
What happens next
- The guide arrives.You get a PDF in your email right away. No payment.
- One short follow-up.Within a day, Steven or Joe sends one text or calls once to ask where you are headed and your report date. That is all.
- Not ready? Say so.We stop. The guide is still yours, and we do not sell your information.
- If you want help,we start with your orders, your BAH and your report date, and send back three real homes with the full monthly payment.
Is it really free?
Yes. No cost, no card. If you decide you want help buying in Tampa Bay, we would like to be the ones you call. You are not required to.
Will you call me?
Once, or one text, within a day, to ask where you are headed. Prefer text only? Tell us and that is how we will reach you.
What if I am just looking, or a year out?
That is fine. The area and cost pages work before orders arrive. Prices move, so treat the figures as a snapshot of sales from October 2025 to September 2026. Ask and we will send a fresh set when your date is close.
Do I have to work with you?
No. Read the guide and use it with any agent.
Are you a lender?
No. We are agents. The payment figures compare areas and are not a loan quote. For a VA loan quote, talk to a licensed loan officer, and we can point you to some.
I am a contractor, not military. Is it for me?
Yes. The prices, commutes, CDD fees and new-construction pages apply to you. The BAH pages show what a payment is against military pay, so use the payment numbers for your own budget.
Run the numbers before you fly in.
Mission: Tampa is 22 pages, free, and on your phone in a minute. Your move is the mission. Clear plan, real numbers, keys in hand.
